Theater-dimmer



. \wm mm Q Z W H l 1 w w Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Vii $20550 7 WW 1 6M H. J. WIEGAND.

THEATER DIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. 1906.

1,194,451. PatentedAug'. 15,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. WIEGAND, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAMMER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

THEATER-DINNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15 1916.

Application filed March 12,1906. Serial No. 305,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. WIEGAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Theater-Dimmers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric controllers and although it applies especially to theater dimmers, it is applicable to other apparatus.

It is the object of my invention to proto the contact arm. I preferably carry the rack upon a pivoted guide which will permit the rack to change the tangential position thereof upon the pinion. The structure which I thus provide enables the operating lever to be placed at various positions in relation to the rheostat. In consequence, where banks or groups of rheostats are arranged in different positions, the operating levers of all the rheostats may be arranged upon the same shaft.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a theater dimmer to which the preferred form of my invention is applied.

It will, of course, be understood that my invention may be employed in various structures and that it may be applied and used in different ways.

Figure 1 is a front view of a theater dimmer. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 isa sectional view on the line 1-4 of Fig. 3, and, Fig. 5 .is a detail view of the operating lever or device.

The rheostats or resistance plates 1 are are suitably connected to a resistance which is preferably arranged within a cement or insulating base or plate 6. The insulating base is preferably mounted in a supported plate 7 which is attached to the frame 2.

The contact arm 4: is preferably pivoted upon a bearing stud 8. A circular bearing plate 9 is preferably placed between the contact arm 4: and the insulating base 6. The bearing plate is preferably provided with a pin or stud 10 which enters a recess in the insulating base to prevent said bearing plate from turning. The bearing stud 8 is preferably mounted upon a bolt 11, which extends through the bearing plate 9 and the insulating base 6. The bolt 11 and the bearing stud 8 are preferably integral. The

bearing stud 8 preferably bears against the is preferably carried by a guide frame 16,

which is pivoted upon the bearing stud 8. The guide frame is preferably held upon the bearing stud 8 by means of a washer 17 which is fastened to said bearing stud by means of a screw 18. The rack preferably extends through guide ways 19 in the guide frame.

The rack 15 is preferably connected to an operating lever or device 20 which 1s pivoted upon a shaft 21. The; lever is preferably provided with a handle 22. The handle s preferably mounted upon a bolt 23, whlch is pressed inwardly by means of a spr ng 24. The bolt is preferably mounted in guides 25 formed upon the operating lever. The shaft 21 preferably carries a cam 26. The bolt 23 preferably enters a notch in the cam to lock the operating lever to the shaft. The

frame 2 and it may be turned by means of a master lever 28.

When the operating lever 20 is turned, it will cause the rack 15 to move through the 5 guide ways 19. The pinion 14 will then be revolved thereby moving the contact arm 4.- over the contacts 5. Inasmuch as the guide frame is pivoted, it will permit the rack to change the tangential position thereof upon the pinion 14:, in accordance with the requirements.

When the lever 20 is locked to the shaft 21, it may be turned by the master lever 28. It will be noted, inasmuch as the operating lever may be locked to the shaft 21, several or all of the rheostats may be operated simultaneously by means of the master lever 28. Furthermore, it will be noted that inasmuch as the operating lever may be unlocked from the shaft 21, any one of the rheostats may be operated independently of the others.

It will be noted that inasmuch as the rack 15 may be made of any suitable length, and as the guide frame 16 may turn to permit the rack 15 to change the tangential position thereof upon the pinion 14;, the operating lever may be arranged in various positions in relation to the rheostat.

It will be understood that the apparatus which I have illustrated inthe accompanying drawing may be changed in various ways as to the construction, arrangement and details of the parts thereof without in any way departing from my invention as defined by claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a theater dimmer in combination, a plurality of rheostats, a plurality of operating members therefor arranged at a distance therefrom, a single rigid member connecting each of said operating members with one of said rheostats, said rheostats being lndependently operable by their respective operating members, a master operating member, and means for connecting said first mena tioned operating members to said master member for simultaneous operation of a plurality of said rheostats.

2. In a theater dimmer in combination, a plurality of rheostats, individual operating members therefor arranged at a distance therefrom and side by side in close proximity, a single rigid member connecting each of said rheostats with its respective operating member, each of said operating members being movable to operate its respective rheostat by reciprocation of its respective connecting member and to operate its respective rheostat independently of the others, anda master operating member, each of said individual operating members hav- 6 ing means for rigidly connecting the same to said master member, said master member being operable to simultaneously operate a plurality of said rheostats.

3. In a theater dimmer in combination, a plurality of rheostats, a plurality of operating levers therefor arranged at a distance therefrom, a common supporting shaft for said levers, a single rigid rod operatively connecting each of said levers with one of said rheostats and adapted by a substantially straight line movement to impart the movement of its respective lever to its respective rheostat, said levers being freely revoluble on said shaft independently of one another, means for locking said levers to said shaft, and means for revolving said shaft to operate a plurality of said levers and their respective rheostats simultaneously.

4. In a theater dimmer in combination, a plurality of rheostats each having a pivoted controlling element provided with a concentric pinion, a plurality of operating levers for said rheostat controlling elements arranged at a distance from said rheostats, a common supporting shaft for said levers, a single rigid rod operatively connecting each of said levers with the controlling element of one of said rheostats, each of said rods being fulcrumed to its respective lever and hav ng a toothed portion meshing with the p1 n1on of 1ts respective rheostat element, said lever being freely revoluble on said shaft independently of one another to independently operate their respective rheostat elements, means associated with each lever for locking the same to said shaft, and a' master lever for revolving said shaft to operate a plurality of said levers and their respective rheostat elements simultaneously.

5. In combination, an elongated frame having a substantially vertical back portion and a substantially horizontal portion proj ecting forwardly from said back portion, a plurality of rheostats mounted side by side upon said frame and rigidly secured thereto, each of said rheostats having a pivoted controlling element, a pinion connected to each of said controlling elements, a rack meshing with each of said pinions, an operating lever for each of said racks, and a single shaft revolubly supporting said levers, said shaft being mounted upon the horizontal portion of said frame adjacent to its forward edge.

6. In combination, an elongated frame having a substantially vertical back portion and a substantially horizontal portion projecting forwardly from said back portion, a plurality of rheostats mounted side by side upon said frame and rigidly secured thereto, each of said rheostats having a pivoted controlling element, a pinion connected to each of said controlling elements, a rack meshing with each of said pinions, an operating lever for each of said racks, a single shaft revscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

H. J. WIEGAND.

Witnesses O. A. KELLER, WALTER E. SARGENT. 

